1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program, and in particular to a game program for causing a computer to implement a game that displays a moveable character on a touch panel type of monitor. In addition, the present invention relates to a game device and a game method that is actualized by this game program.
2. Background Art
Various video games have been proposed in the past. Various video games now allow one to issue various commands to a character displayed on a monitor by operating an input unit that is independent of a game unit, e.g., various input buttons on a controller, or by operating various input buttons that are integrally provided on the game unit. For example, a standard game device has a monitor, a game unit that is separate from the monitor, and a controller that is separate from the game unit. A plurality of input buttons are arranged on the controller. In addition, a portable game device has a game unit, a liquid crystal monitor arranged in the approximate central portion of the game unit, and a plurality of input buttons that are arranged on both sides of the liquid crystal monitor. With this type of game device, various commands can be issued to a character displayed on the monitor by operating at least one of the plurality of input buttons.
Thus, one known video game in which commands to a character are performed from input buttons includes a competitive video game, e.g., a baseball game, in which athlete characters are displayed on a monitor and a competition takes place. With this baseball game, if a player causes the ball to be dispatched to a defender and a fielder character catches the ball, the ball will be dispatched from the fielder character who caught the ball to a selected destination if a button corresponding to the destination of the ball, e.g., home base, first base, second base, or third base is pushed.
With conventional baseball games, when a fielder character has caught a ball, the ball will be dispatched from the fielder character to home base, first base, second base, or third base, if a button corresponding to home base, first base, second base, or third base is pushed. At this point, after confirming the play situation on the monitor, the player must blindly touch the buttons corresponding to each base, e.g., four directional command buttons arranged in a cross shape. Generally, after the fielder character has caught the ball, the player must issue a ball dispatch destination command to the fielder in response to the play situation. Because of this, when the player blindly touches the buttons corresponding to each base, the player may accidentally push a button that is different from the desired button.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need to make it possible to correctly and easily input a command when dispatching a moving object to a character. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.